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Sunday, April 5, 2015

A book to cherish: The Little Paris Kitchen

It is not always
that I review cookbooks. They are, in
fact, probably the most time consuming books one can write a review about. For one, the reading might be tedious (unless
there is a storyline along with the recipes), and secondly, the recipes need
testing.

What attracted me
to this British young woman with Asian looks was not just her lovely television
show, but the concept she came up with: living in Paris, she invited people to
her tiny flat and cooked for them. A
sort of mini restaurant with ultra-personalized service. The rest, as they say, is history.

Rachel in her tiny Paris kitchen

British by
nationality, Rachel Khoo has both Asian and European roots. Her father, a direct descendant of the Khoo
Kongsi clan, immigrated to Britain in 1968, where he met Rachel’s mother,
Austrian by birth. The Khoo Kongsi clan
were wealthy merchants in 17th century Malacca. Recently, Rachel took a trip to Malaysia,
filming new footage for her T.V. show and also to do research on her roots.

In The Little Paris Kitchen, her first book
in the English language, she gives 120 simple recipes that are all Parisian
classics. Navarin d’agneau printanier, Gratin
Dauphinois, Quiche Lorraine, Steak tartare, plus three ideas and
detailed instructions on how to shuck oysters and a killer Mousse au Chocolat, Poires Belle Hélène, Mont-blanc
and Ĭles Flottantes. Her recipes are simple and one can expect results
as the book promises them, something not always the case with cookbook, as I
have learned. The book is divided into:

vEveryday cooking (quick recipes for a meal at
any time. Loved the Salade de figues et foies de volailles.

vSnack time (or le goûter, as the French call
it. A pick-me-up for mid-afternoon).

vDinner with friends and family (recipes to
linger over with a crowd).

vSweet treats (what would French cuisine be
without the ubiquitous pièce de resistance).

There also a couple of appendixes with
some basic recipes for sauces (both savory and sweet) and stocks, as well as
cooking measurement equivalences and the author’s favorite foodie supply places
in Paris. I have tested several of the
recipes in the book and loved all of them.

Rouleaux de
salade Niçoise are a crisp alternative

for a Springtime aperitif. You can use her recipe as a

base for your own.

I made my own variation on
the Navarin d’agneau printanier and
used veal osso-bucco instead, thus transforming it into a sort of Blanquette de veau (which recipe is also included in the book). I used veal broth for the cooking instead of
the suggested water. After two and a
half hours in the oven, my cast iron pan produced flake-away tenderness in the
meat, accompanied by seasonal vegetables like carrots and peas.

The Gratin Dauphinois, an astonishingly simple, yet flavorful dish, is
reproduced admirably. We had it along
with the blanquette.

A tasty French classic is the
Quiche Lorraine, from North-east region of the same name. Innumerable variations of this dish exist,
but my biggest surprise was to find out that the original recipe does not
include cheese, just some very good bacon and that staple of French cooking I
always like to keep in my fridge, crème fraîche. I’m including the recipe here turns out the
crumbliest dough. I cannot overemphasize
the use of the best bacon you can get your hands on. I found one by La Tienda, cured from Spanish “pata negra” pigs and cut it into lardons, which you can get here.

Rachel Khoo’s Quiche
Lorraine:

Ingredients for 4 to 6 portions:

·6 Tbsp soft butter

·1 tsp sugar

·Pinch of salt

·1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

·2 eggs, separated

·Ice-cold water

For the filling:

·5 oz. lardons

·4 eggs plus 2 egg yolks

·1 ¼ cups crème fraîche

·1 tsp salt

·Pepper

Preparation:

Using a wooden spoon, beat together
butter sugar and salt until soft and creamy (do not overmix!). Mix in the flour followed by the egg yolks
and 2 Tbsp. of ice-cold water. Bring
together to make a smooth ball, adding a little more water if the pastry is too
crumbly, kneading only as necessary.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the
pastry from the fridge 30 minutes before using.
Roll between 2 sheets of parchment paper until it is ¼” thick, and use
to line a 10” pan that is at least 1 ¼” deep.
Brush the pastry with egg white.
Refrigerate while preparing the filling.
Pre-heat the oven to 350F.

Meanwhile, fry the lardons in a
nonstick frying pan until golden brown, then lift out with a slotted spoon and
leave to cool on paper towels. Lightly
beat the eggs and egg yolks in the bowl, add the crème fraîche and seasoning,
and continue to beat until mixed together.
Scatter the lardons in the pastry shell and then pour in the egg
mix. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until
the filling looks golden brown and set.
It can be served either warm or cold.
A crisp friseé salad goes marvelously with this, along with a glass of
Beaujolais.

I have a killer sweet tooth,
and her desserts are all classics done the easy way. Poires
Belle Hélène make for stunning presentation and are a cinch to make.

My favorite dessert of all
time is, however, Mousse au Chocolat. This book includes probably the best recipe
on this dessert I have come upon. It
starts with a base of chocolate crème pâtissière. I have found a way to make it even richer and
darker, using dutch processed black cocoa powder, currently sold through the
King Arthur Flour catalog. The crème will turn out a threateningly black colour but
fear not. The key to the ultimate Mousse au Chocolat starts with this
step.

Rachel Khoo’s Mousse au
Chocolat:

Ingredients
for 4 to 6 servings:

·2 Tbsp soft butter

·1 ½ oz. cocoa nibs, plus extra for serving

·2 egg whites

·½ cup confectioner’s sugar

·A couple of drops of lemon juice

·Pinch of salt

·5 oz. dark chocolate (65% to 70% cocoa), finely
chopped

·Scant 1 cup of heavy cream

·1 ½ cups chocolate crème pâtissière (recipe below)

Chocolate crème pâtissière:

Ingredients:

o6 egg
yolks

o½ caster
sugar

o1/3 cup
cornstarch

o1 Tbsp
black cocoa powder

o2 cups
whole milk

Preparation:

Bring the milk to a boil and switch off the heat. Mix in the cocoa powder.

On a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until light and
thick, then whisk in the cornstarch.
Pour the milk in a slow stream onto the egg mixture, whisking vigorously
all the time. Return the mixture to the
pot and whisk continuously over medium heat, making sure to scrape the sides
and bottom to prevent burning. The cream
will start to thicken, once it releases a bubble or two, take it off the heat.

Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from
forming and refrigerate overnight.

Preparation:

Brush
4 to 6 glass ramekins with soft butter.
Add some cocoa nibs and roll them around the sides and bottom until
evenly coated.

Put half the egg
whites into a clean glass or bowl, add the confectioner’s sugar all at once,
along with the lemon juice and salt and whisk until snow white.This technique makes for fool proof
meringue.Add the rest of the egg whites
and continue whisking until the meringue forms stiff peaks.

Melt
the chocolate in a bain-marie and separately whip the cream into soft peaks
(this is important, we do not want overbeaten cream!)

Bring
the crème pâtissière at room temperature and beat to remove any lumps before
stirring in the melted chocolate. Mix in
one third of the meringue, then gently fold in the rest followed by the whipped
cream.

Divide the mousse between the
glasses and chill – ideally overnight, but if you cannot wait, at least a
couple of hours (the book says 1 hour, but my experience suggests 2 is
better). The only drawback (or not), is
that this mousse should be consumed within 2 days due to the raw egg white used
in its preparation.

This is a must-have tome in
your French cooking library. It is mama’s
cooking with a modern twist and, purporting the fact that its author used to
work in the fashion business, it is also lavishly illustrated with full colour
photography, with Rachel wearing the cutest dresses.

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About Me

I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and lived there during the first twenty years of my life. I've been living in the Sunshine State for over twenty years now, most recently in Orlando - the city of Disney.
I'm a Political Scientist and have traveled extensively as the true Saggitarian that I am. I love to experience new cultures through food and customs. In this blog, I aim to invite you to slow down and enjoy the pleasures of life in order to become the perfect, non-desperate hostess - mainly good food, wine, travel, great literature and entertainment with the people that matter to us. This is a blog about debauchery, so if you are not interested in self-indulgence, you might have to look elsewhere.
As far as my personal interests go, I have a sponge-like mind and absorb as much from the world around me as I can. I am mostly interested in everything French, the country's history, cuisine and traditions.
This blog is about dreams, projects and passions. Mine just as much as yours. I review products and places, and test recipes. I invite you to peruse and indulge...